After starting the WNBA season with three straight wins, two against the Dallas Wings and Minnesota native Paige Bueckers, the Minnesota Lynx put their undefeated record at risk on Friday night against the Connecticut Sun.
It was not a smooth start for the Lynx as they struggled to knock down shots early in the game. Minnesota scored only 15 points while making only five of its 15 shots from the field. The offense finally got rolling in the second quarter as Napheesa Collier scored 13 of the 20 points in the frame for the Lynx.
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Just as things seemed to be turning around for the Lynx on offense, the defense started leaking as the Sun scored 26 points in the second quarter to take a 10-point lead heading into halftime.
Just like it did to start the game, the Lynx offense struggled coming out of the locker room, with poor 3-point shooting being the primary culprit. Minnesota missed 13 of their first 16 shots from beyond the arc, struggling to knock down open looks.
Bridget Carleton looked to change all that as, with nearly no time left on the clock, she knocked down a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the corner to cut the Sun’s lead to seven heading into the fourth quarter.
Just like the first half, when it seemed like the Lynx were regaining control of the game, the Sun surged ahead again, going on a 12-4 run to open the final quarter to take a 15-point lead with 5:20 left in the game.
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Everything changed on a dime with less than five minutes to go in the game. With the Lynx seemingly dead in the water, they rattled off 18-straight points to turn the game around. Collier scored seven points in the run, with Natisha Hiedeman scoring six points herself, including the dagger shot from beyond the arc to put the Lynx up three with 31 seconds left.
A layup from Hiedeman and three free throws from Collier closed the game out as the Lynx finished the game on a 23-2 run to win the game 76-70, giving them a 4-0 record to start the season.
Collier was again sensational, scoring 33 points to extend her lead atop the points per game leaderboard. Jessica Sheppard and Hiedeman contributed a combined 24 points as the Lynx. Marina Mabry was the leading scorer for the Sun with 22 points.
Up Next
The Lynx finish out their three-game homestand at Target Center on Tuesday against the Seattle Storm, looking to extend their season-opening win streak to five. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network starting at 7:00 PM CT.
